Music-sheet adjuster.



- Patented 00. 31,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

macro-undo. WASNING mu. nic

F HLHARTZELL. MUSIC SHEET ADJUSTER;

APPLICATION FI'LED NOV. 4. 19M. I 1,203,559, Patented 00 0.31, 1916.

FORESTIH. I-IARTZELL, or DAYTON, 0310.

MUSIC-SHEET ADJUSTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedOct. 31, 1916.

Application filed November 4, 1914 Serial No. 870,241.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Fonns'r H. HARTZELL,

citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and- State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Music-Sheet Adjusters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to musical instruments and particularly to pneumatically operated players therefor, controlled by a traveling perforated music sheet.

The invention relates more especially to means for shifting the perforated music sheet laterally to register the perforations thereof with particular orifices in the tracker bar without varying the tension of. the music sheet or interfering with thewind ing or rewinding operation.

The object of the invention is to simplify the structure as well as the means and modeof operation of such devices whereby they will not only be cheapened in construction, but will be more efficient in'use, positive in action, easily and quickly adjusted, and unlikely to get out of repair.

WVith the above primary and other incidental objects in view, as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention consists of the features. of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, the mode of operation, or their equivalents, as hereinafter described and set forth in the claims. 1 In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the assembled winding and rewinding and music sheet control apparatus embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the rewindingmechw nism shown at the top in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the driving connections. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of the winding mechanism shown atthe bottomin Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail end view of the sheet shifting members. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the rack sleeve. Figs-7 and 8 are a. detail plan view and side elevation, respectively, of a modification of the actuating means shown in the previous figures. Figs. 9 and 10 are modifications of structural details. 7

Like parts are indicated actors of reference throughout the several views.

The present invention is an amplification of" the invention set forth and described in Letters Patent No. 1,103,200, dated July 14., 1914.

by similar char- In the drawings, 1 is the usual housing commonly found in player pianos as at present constructed in which is located the usual tracker bar 2 provided with orifices 3. The orifices 3 communicate with'air passages or ducts of the pneumatic" playing mechanism and areopened and closed in predetermined sequence by the movement of the perforated music sheet 4.

During its operative movement 'the music sheet is withdrawn from the roll 5 and wound upon the roll 6. plishedby means of a driving motor "not shown in the drawings. When thereproduction of the musical composition has-been completed, the music sheet 4 is rewound on the roll 5, preparatory to its removal fro-1n the apparatus, by a reversal of the driving connections.

Inorder that the music sheet may make proper contact with the tracker bar during its operative movement and in order that it maybe wound evenly'upon either roll and travel with proper tension, suitable tension or brake devicesare provided for controlling the movement of the music sh eet whereby the tension will be maintained constantly throughout the length of the sheet.

To secure the best results, it is desirable that the perforations of -.the music sheet register accurately with the orifices of the changing the key in which the composition is played. Q Secured tofthe side of the housing 1 is a frame comprising side bars 8 connected one with theother by transverse ties 9 in which are journaled, in suitable bearings, a winding shaft 10 anda rewinding shaft 11 hardened to resist wear. Also journaledin the frame barsS intermediate the'winding and rewinding shaftslO and 11 is the main drive shaft 12 operatively connected in any suitable manner with an actuating motor not shown in the drawing.

,Slidingly mounted upon the main shaft 12 is. a gear pinion 13 meshing with a gear This is accom- 14 carried upon the winding shaft 10. The main shaft 12 is grooved as at 15 while the gear pinion 13 carries a stud or spline screw 16 which engages within the groove 15. The construction is such that the gear pinion 13 may be shifted laterally upon the drive shaft 12 While maintaining a driving connection therewith. The gear 14 is similarly mounted upon the winding shaft 10 with which it is engaged by a stud screw or spline 17 engaging in a groove 18 in the shaft thereby maintaining a constant driving connection while permitting the winding shaft 10 to be adjusted longitudinally through the gear.

The winding gear 14 is held against lateral displacement within the frame by means of the sleeve 19 through which the winding shaft 10 extends. The sleeve 19 may be see cured to one of the side bars 8 by riveting, staking, welding or by other means whereby the sleeve 19 will form a bearing for the shaft 10 or it may be loose upon the shaft 10 intermediate the gear 14 and the side bar 8 and form merely a spacing memberto maintain the gear in proper position. In the drawing, several washers 20 have been shown interposed between the opposite sides of the gear 14 and the adjacent side bar 8.

Located upon the rewinding shaft 11 within the frame is a spool comprising a sleeve 21 carrying at one end a brake disk 22 and at the opposite end a sprccket pinion 23 both integral with the sleeve 21. The spool is slidably connected with the rewinding shaft 11 by means of a stud screw or spline 24 which engages a groove 25 in the shaft. The construction is such that the shaft 11 may be readily adjusted in a longitudinal direction through the spool while maintaining driving connection therewith. The spool is maintained in proper position within the frame by sleeves 26 located on opposite sides thereof intermediate the spool and side bars 8 of the frame. These sleeves 26 may be connected with the side bars 8 b rivetin staking, brazing, or welding, as shown at the right in Fig. 2, thereby forming a bearing for the shaft 11 or they may be loose and independent of the side bars, as shown at the left in Fig. 2, and comprise merely a spacing member for maintaining the spool in its adjusted position. The construction is such that the winding shaft 10 and the rewinding shaft 11 may reciprocate freely through the gear 14 and the spool while maintaining constant driving" connection therewith.

The main shaft 12 is held against longitudinal movement by a stud screw 27 in one of the shaft bearings which engages a peripheral groove 28 in the shaft. Loosely journaled upon the shaft 12 is a sprocket wheel 29 connected, by a sprocket chain 30 with the sprocket pinion 23 of the spoollocated upon the rewinding shaft 11. The sprocket 29 is held against lateral displacement upon the shaft 12 by means of a stud 31 having an enlarged head engaging in a peripheral groove 32 in the hub of the sprocket wheel.

The adjacent faces of the sliding gear pinion 13 and the sprocket wheel 29 are provided with interengaging clutch members whereby the gear pinion and the sprocket wheel may be operatively connected one with the other. in the drawings, these clutch members have been shown in the form of pins or studs 33 each project-ing into the path of the other.

Pivoted to the bracket 34 upon one of the side bars 8 is a shift lever 35 carrying a stud 36 engaging in a peripheral groove 37 in the hub of the gear pinion 14. By the oscillation of the shift lever 35, the gear pinion 13, which is operatively connected with the drive shaft 12, may be shifted into mesh with the gear 14 upon the winding shaft or by a reverse movement it may be disengaged from the gear 14 and caused to en gage the sprocket 29 by means of the clutch pins 33. When the gear pinion 13 is engaged with the gear 14 the winding shaft 10 will be actuated to withdraw the music sheet from the roll 5 and cause it to be wound upon the roll 6. Upon the reversal of the mechanism the 'rewinding shaft 11 will be driven from the shaft 12 through the sprocket 29 and the sprocket chain 30 to the sprocket pinion 23 thereby actuating the rewinding shaft 11 to rewind the music sheet upon the roll 5.

T as particular brake or tension devices form no part of the present invention. Any suitable form of tension devices may be employed. In the drawing, there is shown a very simple type of brake mechanism corresponding with that shown in my Patent No. 1,088,223. This brake mechanism comprises two levers 38 and 39 pivoted to the bracket 34 and capable of independent oscillation about their pivotal connection. The lever 33 carries a brake shoe 40 engaging the side of the gear 14 while the lever 39 carries a corresponding shoe 41 engaging the side of the brake disk 22. The levers 38 and 39 are connected with the shift lever 35 by springs 42 on opposite sides of the pivotal connection of the lever 35. The construction is such that when the lever 35 is shifted toward the left in Fig. 1 to cause the pinion 13 to drive the gear 14 and the winding shaft 10, the brake lever 39 will be drawn toward the right causing its brake shoe 41 to bear upon the side of the disk 22 under the tension of the corresponding spring 42. At the same time the tension upon the opposite lever 38 is released. Upon a reversal of the shift lever 35 whereby the pinion 13 is disengaged from the gear 14 and engaged with the sprocket 29, the brake lever 38 is placed under spring tension causing its shoe 40 to bear upon the gear 14 while at the same time the tension of the shoe 41 upon the disk 22 is released.

Extending in opposite directions from the frame and concentric with the shafts 10 and 11 are sleeves 43 and 44 suitably supported .upon the side bars 8. At the left in Figs. 2 and 4 the sleeves 43 are shown inclosing and supported upon a projecting hub or bearing 45 attached to the side bar 8. At the right in said figures the sleeve 44 is shown secured to a bracket 46 which is in turn attached to the side bars 8 by screws 47 Secured to the extremities of each shaft 10 and 11 and sliding within the sleeve 43 in unison with such shafts are heads 48 suitably shaped to engage the corresponding rolls 5 and 6. Located in each of thesleeves 44 is a rack sleeve 49 having formed in one side thereof a series of rack teeth 50. The extremity of the shaft extends within the bore of the sleeve 49 and engages a bearing ball 51 which forms a thrust bearing for the shaft and minimizes friction. The 6X! tremity of the shaft is preferably slightly tapered as indicated at 52 to permit the rack sleeve and the shaft a limited movement in relation one with the other whereby the said parts may be alined one with the other without causing them to bind. Adjacent to the tapered head the shaft is provided with a peripheral groove 53 engaged by a screw or stud 54 in the sleeve 49 which prevents the disengagement of the sleeve and the shaft.

Each of the sleeves 44 is provided with a lateral opening 55 through which projects a gea'r Sector 56 engaging the rack teeth 50 of the sleeve 49. The gear sectors 56' are carried upon a common rock shaft 57 by which they are oscillated in unison to re"- ciprocate the sleeves 49 and therewith the shafts 10 and 11 and heads 48. Upon the oscillation of the rock shaft 57 the-gear sectors reciprocate the sleeve 49 and therewith the corresponding shafts 10 and 11 toward the left, thereby shifting the music sheet rolls 5 and 6. against the tension of the spring pressed trunnions 58 located in the opposite side of the housing 1. This adjusting movement of the drive shafts 10 and 11 is accomplished independent ofthe driving'connections and independent of the brake or'tension devices. The driving connections comprising the gears 13 and 14 and the sprockets 23 and 29 are permanently positioned in their relations withthe frame. Likewise the tension of the brakelevers 38 and 39 and. the influence of the brake shoes 40 and 41 upon the gear 14 and disk 22 are not varied in the least by the longitudinal adjustment of the windin a rewin'ding shafts; The shafts and'heads' are positively 7 lars 61 upon the extremities of the shafts 10 and 11. This construction is employed" in lieu of the gear sector 56v and the rack sleeve 49. The construction and operation of the modified mechanism is otherwise the same as heretofore described. Y

In the construction shown in. detail in Figs. 2 and 4 care must be exercised that.

the bearings 45, 62 and the sleeve 44 are" accurately alined one with the other. It is to be noted that in this construction the shafts 10 and 11 have three points of bearing, 2'. 6., the bearing 45, the bearing 62, and the rack sleeve49. If any one of these hearings is slightly out of alinement with the other two, the shaft will bind. 'To'overcome this difficulty, which is only a matter of mechanical construction, and to provide a form which may be more readily assembled by unskilled labor, the construction shown in Figs. 9 and 10 is provided. Referring to Fig. 9, the bearing 62 of the previously described construction is replaced by a loose sleeve or spacer 63.1 In this con struction the shaft has but two journal bearings, i. 6., that in the bearing 45 and in the rack sleeve 49. I Likewise'in Fig. 10 a loose collar 64 is provided in lieu of the bearing 65 shown in Fig. 4. This leaves to the shaft 10 but two points of bearing. that inthe bearing 45 and the sleeve 49. To further cheapen the construction a tubular sleeve 66 connected at one endv to the hub of the gear 14 and atitsopposite end to the collar 64 is employed in lieu of the spacingsleeve19. 7

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described; possessing the particular features of "advantage before enumerated as desirable but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportion, detail construction or arrangement of parts, without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages. 7

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described iii-language more or less specific as to certain structural features. it is to be understood that the invention. is not limited to any specific details 7 but that the means and construction herein described comprise but one mode of putting the invention into effect and the invention is therefore claimed broadly 'in any ofits possible forms or' modificationswithin thescope of the appended claims:

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a driven member, an actuating shaft therefor, a driver for rotating said shaft, an adjuster for longitudinally reciproeating the shaft, and brake means controlling the rotation of said shaft independent of which the longitudinal movement of the shaft is effected.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a main frame, a driven member, an actuating shaft therefor capable of both rotary and longitudinal movement in relation'with the frame, means for actuating the shaft, a brake controlling the rotary movement of the shaft, and means whereby the influence of the brake member upon the shaft is maintained uniform independent of the longitudinal adjustment of the shaft.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a driven member, a revoluble actuating shaft therefor mounted for longitudinal movement, a driving member adapted to rotatesaid shaft, means for reciprocating the shaft independent of said driving memher, and brake means controlling the driving member.

4;; In an apparatus of the character described, a driven member, an actuating shaft therefor, means for rotating the shaft, means for adjusting the shaft longitudinally, a brake member rotating with the shaft adapted to afford uniform resistance to the rotation of the shaft independent of the longitudinal movement thereof.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a music-sheet roll, a shaft for said roll capable of both revoluble and longitudinal movement, a brake member and a driver operatively connected one with the other and controlling the rotation of said shaft independent of its longitudinal movement, and means for shifting the shaft longitudinally independent of both the driver and brake member. 6. In an apparatus of the character described, a musicsheet roll, a shaft for said roll'capable of both 'revoluble and longitudinal movement, a sleeve mounted to rotate with the shaft, independent of which the shaft is longitudinally adjustable, means for rotating the sleeve and shaft, brake means controlling the rotary movement of the sleeve, and means for shifting the shaft longitudinally independent-of the sleeve. 7. In an apparatus of the character described, a revoluble control member comprising a sleeve, an actuating wheel at one end of the sleeve and a brake wheel at the opposite end of the sleeve, a shaft slidingly engaged with the control member and rotating in unison therewith, and means for reciprocating the shaft independent of the control member.

'8. In an apparatus of the character described, a driven member, an actuating shaft therefor capable of both rotary and longitudinal movement, a driving member adapted to rotate the shaft, means for reciprocating the shaft independent of the driving member, and brake means controlling said driving member independent of the longitudinal adjustment of the shaft.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, a driven member capable of both rotary and longitudinal movement, means for rotatingsaid driven member, means for adjusting said driven member longitudinally, and a brake wheel rotating with said driven member independent of the longitudinal movement thereof.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, a music sheet roll capable of both rotary and longitudinal movement, means for rotating the roll, brake means controlling the rotation of the roll in relation with which the roll is longitudinally adjustable and means for adjusting said roll longitudinally independent of said brake means.

11. In an apparatus of the character described, a music sheet roll'capable of both rotary and longitudinal movement, an actuating shaft therefor, means to rotate said shaft, a brake controlling the rotation of the shaft, and means to adjust said music sheet roll longitudinally independent of the operation of the brake.

12. In an apparatus of the character described, a driven member capable of both rotary and longitudinal movement, a brake wheel rotating with the driven member in relation with which the driven member is longitudinally adjustable, means for simultaneously rotating the driven member and brake wheel and means for adjusting the driven member longitudinally independent of the brake Wheel.

13. In an apparatus of the character described, a main frame, a shaft capable of both rotary and longitudinal movement, a guide sleeve stationarily secured upon said frame, a reciprocatory bearing sleeve slid ingl-y mounted Within the stationary sleeve with which the shaft is engaged for independent rotary movement and means for reciprocating the bearing sleeve within the guide sleeve.

'14. In an apparatus of the character described, a main frame,.a music sheet roll, a shaft for said roll capable of both rotary and longitudinal movement, means for rotating the shaft, a reciprocatory rack slidingly mounted in the main frame and moving in a direction substantially parallel with the axis of the shaft and having a thrust bearmg engaged-by the end of the shaft, and a gear member to reciprocate the rack.

15. In an apparatus of the character described, a music sheet roll, a shaft for said 'tremity of the shaft projects and means to reciprocate the said member.

16. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, a driven member, an actuating shaft therefor, a brake wheel mounted upon said shaft through which the shaft is longitudinally adjustable, means for rotating the shaft and wheel and means for adjusting the shaft longitudinally independent of the brake wheel.

17 In an apparatus of the character described, a music sheet roll, a shaft for said roll capable of both revoluble and reciprocatory movement, means for rotating the shaft, said shaft having a tapered extremity, a peripheral shoulder on the shaft, a sleeve into which the tapered extremity of the shaft projects, and means upon the sleeve engaging the peripheral shoulder to limit the independent reciprocatory movement .of the parts, and. means to reciprocate the sleeve.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

18. In an apparatus of the character described, a music sheet roll, a shaft for said roll capable of both revoluble and reciprocaa sleeve into the bore of which the shaft projects, and having a wabble fit therein, an inter-engaging connection between the shaft and sleeve whereby the shaft is permitted rotary movement independent of the sleeve but the longitudinal movement of the shaft and sleeve is in unison one with the other, and means to reciprocate the sleeve.

19. In an apparatus of the character described, a music sheet roll, a shaft for said roll capable of both rotary and longitudinal sleeve into which the extremity of the shaft projects, a plurality of rack teeth in the lateral face of the sleeve, and an oscillatory FOREST I-I. HARTZELL. I

Witnesses:

HENRY F. NOLAN, CARRIE M. BECKER.

Washington, D; G.

'tory movement, means for rotating the shaft,

movement, means for rotating the shaft, a- 

